Many high-profile individuals such as celebrities or politicians use safe rooms in their homes in case of emergencies. If you want to feel safe in the event of a break-in, a safe room might be right for you and your family.
What’s the Purpose of a Safe Room?
A safe room — or panic room — is a guarded secure room in your private residence or business to hide in and escape from any kind of home invasion or outside threat. Safe rooms are designed to protect the owner in a dangerous situation such as a robbery or intrusion.
The goal of a safe room is to buy time until law enforcement secures the area. With the help of residential security systems, you can detect a threat and automatically contact the police while you head for safety.
How Safe Are Above-Ground Safe Rooms?
Both in- and above-ground safe rooms can protect you from intruders and natural disasters when adequately designed and constructed. Because of its design, an in-ground room provides more natural protection against debris during severe storms. However, above-ground rooms should meet the highest safety standards and offer the same amount of protection.
How Do You Build a Safe Room In Your House?
You can add a safe room to an existing home, but your safe room should be away from potential entry points, such as doors and windows, and easy to access. You will need proper ventilation and thick walls as well. Some suggested locations for safe rooms in homes are basements, walk-in closets or wine cellars. The placement of the room is very important. It should be away from vulnerable break-in sites and closer to where the family may gather or nearby. You do not want an intruder to be between you and your safe room.
The design of your safe room structure varies based on your budget and intended use. Basic requirements should include:
- Walls and a ceiling. Include floor-to-ceiling walls made of a secure material with minimal joints. You should also monitor spaces for ducts so the intruder cannot penetrate them.
- Floors. Concrete is the ideal flooring material for a safe room, as it is durable and can withstand heavy loads.
- Doors. A bulletproof, secure door is necessary to prevent an intruder from entering the safe room. The security hardware should not impact the door’s operation, and there should be no way to control the hardware from the outside.
- Cameras. Hidden cameras allow you to monitor the area. A concept is to provide one visible overt camera the intruder will find for the fact that he/she will most likely deactivate it. In turn keeping their focus away from searching for extra hidden cameras.
- Communication devices. Cell phones are not reliable with thick walls and ceilings. Use a separate landline to communicate with emergency services.
Have a security technician from Silent Guardian Security find the best location for your safe room and go over the different options for your home or business.
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Safe Room?
The cost of building a safe room varies depending on where you live, the room’s size and the type of construction. Typically, installing safe rooms in existing buildings is more expensive than incorporating them into new builds. The most affordable safe rooms tend to be small and prefabricated. Other factors that affect the cost include:
- Materials: Concrete masonry units, insulated concrete and wood have varying price points.
- Room location: Will it be an internal or external room? If external, will it be above or below ground?
- Geographic location: Different states — and regions within those states — have different labor and material costs.
- Extra amenities: The overall price will increase as you add additional amenities, such as a bathroom or small kitchen.
Do You Need a Permit for a Safe Room?
You must obtain a building permit and inspection before the construction of your safe room. The contractor must also prove the safe room meets Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) design criteria before building. Further checks might occur once the room is complete to ensure the builders have met the necessary criteria.
Should the Door of a Safe Room Swing in or Out?
Under FEMA regulations, the door to your safe room can swing either inward or outward, and both ways offer different benefits. For example, outward-swinging doors allow for more space inside the room. Indoor-swinging doors are less vulnerable to debris, making it easier to open the door after an emergency.
Although FEMA allows both types of doors, certain states may have specific building code regulations requiring doors to swing in a particular direction. You should consult your local building laws before moving ahead with construction.
Does a Safe Room Need Ventilation?
In most cases, your safe room should have ventilation. Technically, there are unventilated options for chemical, biological and radiation (CBR) safe rooms. In an unventilated CBR space, a completely sealed room traps clean air. You have access to clean air, but you also risk high carbon dioxide levels if you’re in the room for too long.
You can also build a CBR room with ventilation that filters and purifies the air as it enters the room. Proper ventilation lets you occupy the space for longer periods without the risk of carbon dioxide poisoning.
What Is In a Safe Room
When filling your safe room with emergency supplies, you want to include enough materials to last for a few days. Some necessities to prepare for a lengthened stay include:
- Nonperishable food.
- Bottled water.
- Blankets.
- First-aid kits.
- Medications.
- Flashlights.
- Sanitation.
- Weapons.
- Toys and books for children.
- Pet food, if needed.
Perform routine checks on the materials in your saferoom to prevent dead batteries or expired medications. Preventive care may also increase your safety in the future.
Request Safe Room Installation in Long Island With Silent Guardian Security
Silent Guardian Security offers state-of-the-art security technology. With over 25 years of experience working directly with law enforcement, we have expertise in installing and designing security systems and safe rooms.
Contact us today to request a quote so we can amplify your home and business’s security.